Review: OEDIPUS! A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY at 54 Below Re-Imagines the Classic Tale

Perhaps the funniest thing about Oedipus! A New Musical Comedy—aside from its title and exclamation point—is its address: 54 Below, directly beneath Studio 54, where a very serious Broadway production of Oedipus is currently playing. That cosmic coincidence alone is amusing—the fate that Oedipus himself battles vs. the fate of turning his story into a comedy. Both may be an impossible encounter to truly survive.

The performance weathered an unfortunate hurdle when the actor playing Oedipus called out sick. Billy Sharpe gamely stepped in, handling the dialogue for Oedipus while continuing to play his smaller roles. The character’s songs were capably sung by music director and pianist Michael Lavine. Credit is due all around for pulling together under pressure—proof that, indeed, “the show must go on.” And additionally, “there’s no business like show business.”

Relocated to the backwoods of West Virginia, this ancient Greek tale begins years before Sophocles picks up the thread. When King Laius and Queen Jocasta learn that their newborn is destined to murder his father and marry his mother, they belt out a number explaining why they should simply “Ditch It!”—which they do, depositing the baby into a pawpaw patch. (For those not in the know: pawpaws are West Virginia’s native fruit, prized for their tropical sweetness.) The baby, a Jim Henson–style puppet, is found, named Eddie, and because the baby perpetually wipes his face, the name is amended to Eddiepuss. If that’s not silly enough, the extreme hick accents make the whole thing feel like a forced parody—a cross between the successful Broadway musicals Li’l Abner (1956) and Shucked (2022), minus the consistent laughs.

Though billed as a “new musical comedy,” it first appeared in 1996 at the University of Maryland. Two original cast members—Pam Schmier Hacker and Jennifer Norkin Schwartz—return for this showcase, joined by fellow alumni Bob Johnson and Anne Fliotsos, who co-wrote the book and lyrics (with Fliotsos also directing), and Edwin Walk and Cynthia Jay doing a joint effort with the music. As a college production nearly three decades ago, one imagines it landed as a more impressive accomplishment than the staged reading suggests today.

More than once, the actors hinted that this showcase hopes to spark interest in a full-scale production. 54 Below has already committed to a return engagement—amusingly, scheduled for Father’s Day in June. Still, when characters repeatedly make self-deprecating jokes about the material they’re performing, it raises the question of whether some collegiate triumphs are best left in the yearbooks.

There are more smiles than laughs. The most successful humor comes from Broadway references tucked into the dialogue: Gypsy’s Moo Cow, Fiddler on the Roof’s Fruma Sarah, and a Sound of Music–inspired gag in which Oedipus introduces his four children via distinct whistle commands.

Standout moments came from Zuri Washington, who brought musical-comedy truthfulness to several small roles in this very silly world. Adam B. Shapiro contributed an easy charm, while Janine LaManna delivered strong vocals as Jocasta, at one point perched on the piano with a blue feather boa for “The Need a Man Blues.” Other numbers included “Safety Orange,” “Moonpies & RC Cola,” and “The Fertility Song.” Musically, many of the songs blurred together, with lyrics that often felt awkward—though perhaps that, too, is meant to be part of the joke.

In the end, Oedipus! A New Musical Comedy feels like an affectionate reunion of college collaborators. It’s a pleasant enough evening that benefits from goodwill and nostalgia.